Our mission is to safeguard the future of the Los Angeles Times and its journalists.

The Los Angeles Times is an essential institution. As employees, we take enormous pride in the journalism we produce, fighting each day to serve our readers and make our product better. We give our community a voice, and we deserve a voice as well. That’s why we are forming a union with the NewsGuild, the organization that represents our peers at The New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, Reuters, the Associated Press and many others.

A union is the best way for us to protect ourselves and ensure that we have a say in the critical decisions that shape our journalism.

We deserve to be compensated fairly for our hard work, our skills and our depth of experience. We are determined to halt the rampant turnover and knowledge flight that has destabilized our newsroom. With a union, we can begin to address stagnant wages, pay disparities and declining benefits. And we can create a workplace that reflects the diversity of Southern California.

Our No. 1 goal is the long-term success of The Times and its journalism. We believe the company shares that goal. The best way for the Los Angeles Times to flourish is through collective bargaining for its journalists.

We are asking Tronc, The Times’ parent company, to recognize the NewsGuild as our representative, and we are eager to work with management to achieve our shared goals.